Flexible connection for gas-meters.



P. B. MUELLER. FLEXIBLE OONNEGTIONVFOR GAS METERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28,1910.

Patented 001;. 22, 1912.

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lll @TAlEd lPAi'llENT @FFlQE B. MUELLER, F DECATTJ'R, ILLINOIS,

ASSIGNOR T0 H. MUELLER MANUFACTUR- IIQ'G CGMPANY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FLEXIBLE CONNECTION FDR GAS-METERS.

Llll- Application filed June 28,

. To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, Finn) B. h'lnnLLnR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Decatur, in the county of Macon and'State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Flexible Connections for Gas-l/leters, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to those flexible connections for gas meters which are commonly made between a gas main and a meter. These connections are used in order that the ineter Will not be moved out of place or damaged by reason of expansion of the main leading to it, and in order that more latitude may he had in the placing of the meter. At the present time plumbers make these iiole connections right on the ground, an ordinary lead pipe of suitable length being connected to the gas main and to the meter by wiped joints. There are tvvo of these connections usually found with every meter installed, one of them being made from the conduit leading "from the street main to the meter, and the other leading from the meter to the service main. Considerable time consumed in making these connections, and it not infrequently happens that they are poorly made. Beside being commonly made with ordinary pipe which is very likely to flatten, particularly on sharp bends, and requires, therefore, a good deal oi' rare in handling in such situations, the joints are very often poorly made with the result that the connection leaks at once or a leak results otter a certain time when there has been expansion and contraction between the parts, or else they have been subjected to a or f ain of some sort. Very often meters placed in out oi? the Way places,

the of houses, and careless people lore clue/ts the meter and souictiu'ies n and puncture, ge the flexible lead pipe i he lead pipe connec. on also ver easily tapped, and it is sometimes gt'wee'n the main and the meter and T 1' can be easily plugged up at intern the inspector is due, and none of the drawn through opening has passed through the meter theft is very hard to detect. a another dissadwintagc there l ordinar lead pipe in i ii litre be ill ellars Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Get. 22, .1912. .910. Serial no. 569,388.

making these connect-ions, on account of the fact that a plumber who cares more about saving time and money than about excellcncy of his Work will use a smaller lead pipe than should be used in order to properly supply the system through the meter. The result is a low pressure when the system is Worked at its full capacity, and at those times under certain conditions condensation in the meter due to the expansion of gas passing through the small pipe connection. It is the object of my invention to obviate these disadvantages of the flexible meter connection as ordinarily made, and to this end I have designed an article of manufacture comprising an armored or metallic flexible section of conduit equipped with a pipe fitting at each end. The section of conduit is attached by a combined mechanically locked and wiped joint, and is of a size proper to be used with the standard fittings attached thereto. 1 manufacture two of these articles or devices for use with standard meters, one a flexible section equipped with a coupling and valve at opposite ends, for use on the inlet side of the meter, the valve being the usual. cut oil valve Which is placed next the main; and the other being a like flexible section of armored conduit equipped with a coupling at each end for use on the outlet side of the n'ieterl I manufacture these articles standard sizes, and test. the same. under hig 1 pressure for leaks before placing them in stock. Leaky joints and weal-z joints are thereby detected and such articles a."- develop these are Worked over and the de remedied. These flexible connections are supplied to the trade and t heir use is attended with many advan" es. To begin w th the time and expense in ,idcut to inching the present flexible coiu'icctions is saved. ll inanutuctured connection is ready to at liy an ordiri-isy wrench to the meter and Wise extremely small liability oil the developnient of leaks after the connectica been installed. The constructi is sturdy, armored or inetallic'rihbed tic. condui' being used. This may be bent at any def sired angle Without danger of fiattenine it also stands great external pressure Wi aout distortion and hence is little liahle ere ternal damage. Armored or ribbed metallic conduit is not easily tapped, and for reason the-theft of gas is more dillicult. Likewise accidental puncture is eileclually prevented.

All of these various advantages and. a detailed cmistruction of my improved lickible connection. will be more readily apparen from the following description taken in con nection with the accompanying sheet; of drawing. in which-- l' igure l. is an elc" 7 of a standard meter s. 1 applied. Fig. :1 ,5 a new rd connection of ihe llexihl oil; to a. fitting. and Fig". (ion showing the otho" corduit attached to :1

Referring to the 4 meter of the standard '1- ll indicates the sup cates the service main.

" top portion ihe Ci'.)llllllil()ll$i owing" the one l3 and 'l-l; are ti 0 ol nir l connec tions respective .Ol'ili i, the Suppry 1'? intcrconnuclei ta lic Klll1 tutc om n'iy invention. The couplii Whicl'i engage direci'ly with the inch,- similar construction.

The flexible conduit 1 pref-er to use iron or steel rihl'ied spiral conduit. 'ihis conduit. is now made l or very high pres sures and. is extremely durable ano F;(51Vl(70- able. I make use of die ribs or spirals o? the conduit to mechanica ly lock lo it; the fittings or couplii'igs w] h which it is equipped. An inspection lligs. 2 and 3 will make this clear. The coupling or lit-- rings 16 and 21 are provided with standard screw threads 23 at one end, While at the other end are formed ribs or coarse sci av threads 24- Which intermesh with the ri' and binding; the il ol," the flexible so weasel of the ales, d length annular llanggc 25 at its outer nil ternal threziuls on. its inner end. the latrer titling into the coupling 16 (or 19) and en-- gaging with the threads 23. A coupling nut 526 is carried about the neck 22, the nut having a contracted opening at one end revoluhly receiving the threzuilcd end of the neck 22 thercthrough, and held thereon hy flanges Q5. The nulz'iZG has angular faces adapted to he gripped by a Wrench or other tool to sort lhc nut tigl'itly e e" the threaded end of the pipe oi. the inc it). it is thus seen tha" l l are provided a.

comu-i-l'imi con line; 0'? a pair sections n" I oi a relal. mil help in Slippy uni n s rvice main -ul iu:-ilin ot o" the more. a the dam of hrcal u: acci'ious or the ronneclvion.

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'an. 12 h iniprovcd connection first ll 0 nuts 2t y connected to ll of the met 1 the valve 17 is to he supply main ii. in this latter oporal/ion ihe complete section l), turn the nut. 26 and lhe spirall conduit is sulnuil'ted i.

at the some tinniocnL 1 scr main L5 =oly upon lll) nul;

sore "o eriiw: mains ii coup iws ll?- zozd are. 11 n od posilion upon the meicr pip warning; the nuts 26 down on the meter p gift-i oi 'lhe ncii i the piper forming a sealed no wiped joints are necessary, rhe lnelcr ran lKi quickly adjusted and removed the mains, each entire section may be Without solnnil'iing the same to torsional or other strainfai'ni the sections adittini; oij' their bending and adpisliuent without the danger of cracking or collapsing the same.

My improved flexible connection consisting iono'fnielallic conduit and its two attached fillings thus forms at once a neat, sturdy and eihcient article of manufactory wit-h any style or character of pipe i facture which is comparatively inexpensive to make in large numbers, and which is convenient and most profitable to use.

While I have described the best form of my invention now known to me, describing it especially in connection with gas meters of the ordinary type it is obvious that my invention may be given various forms by the skilled engineer without departing from its generic spirit and that likewise my invention may find other fields of That it is especially adapted for use with high pressure mains and meters or with high pressure devices directly connected to the 'mains is evident, and modifications may well be made to adapt it to a particular device without in any wise departing from the generic spirit, and to this end the invention may be equipped at the fitting desired. All such modifications I desire to cover in the annexed claims.

What I claim is:

1. In afiexibl'e connection, and in combination, a flexible conduit having exterior spiral ribs constituting external coarse screw i duit having internal coarse screw threads engaging over the external threads at the opposite ends of the canduit, securing means l for the couplings adapted to seal the same i on the ends of the conduit, a neck permal nently secured at one end in one of the couplings and having a fixed collar upon its opposite end, and a coupling nut loosely mounted on the neck and having an inwardly extending flange at its inner end adapted to engage the collar whereby the coupling nut is retained on the neck.

2. Ina gas meter connection, the combi nation with a fixed pipe member, and a fiexible conduit having external metallic screwthread ribs, of internally screw threaded couplings engaging over and being fixed upon the ends of the flexible conduit, a neck threaded into and being fixed upon one of the couplings and having an exterior smooth surface at its outer end, said neck further having an integral collar at its outer end beyond the smooth surface, and a coupling nut rotatable upon the neck and adapted for threaded engagement with said pipe member and having an inwardly extending flange at its inner end adapted to engage said collar and bind the same against said pipe member.

In testimony whereofl have hereunto setmy hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED B. MUELLER.

Witnesses W. R. GUSTIN, WV. R. BIDDLE. 

